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Lucas Herbert got a police escort and Brad Kennedy nearly jumped out the car as traffic jams caused havoc for the Australians - and Sergio Garcia - at the Open.

Lucas Herbert needed a police escort to rush him to Royal St George's and Brad Kennedy nearly jumped out of his car to run to the course after traffic jams at the British Open provided pre-Championship scares for two top Australian players.

Sergio Garcia was also among star performers who were left panicking that they wouldn't make their tee times and needed police help after the return of one of the great sporting festivals saw the crowds rush back to the little Kent town of Sandwich on Thursday.

The traffic chaos their return brought with them left the unsuspecting Aussie duo, among others, feeling a little bit panicked as they feared they might be disqualified for getting there too late.

Herbert, one of the real form horses on the European Tour after his recent Irish Open win, is used to cutting things fine but he was even later than usual after he hit heavy traffic trying to get from his nearby hotel.

He reckoned it contributed to a miserable start to his first round before he recovered superbly to finish at even par.

"This morning, I was a bit thrown out," explained the 25-year-old.

"It's already going to be tricky here with so much going on around the tournament (regarding COVID-19 restrictions).

"You've got to get shuttles from here to there and there are long walks between the putting green and what-not, so you've already got to factor in a little bit more time.

"Then the traffic was horrific this morning. We had to get a police escort in the end to get here (for a 9.14am tee time) and I was still really late - which is pretty much how I operate anyway!"

Hope Island's Kennedy, the 47-year-old who topped the Australasian Order of Merit last year to qualify, said it took him one and a half hours to travel the seven miles from his base in the village of Walmer to Sandwich.

"The traffic was so bad I was pretty much about to leave the car at the side of the road, it was looking pretty tricky.

"I left three hours before my tee time and I was beginning to panic a little bit. I certainly won't do that again! I'll be well and truly here long before my tee time!"

Herbert reckoned his rushed preparations may have contributed to him being "half-asleep until the back nine" after he started in particularly distracted fashion with a double bogey at the first.

"Then things started to kick off and got myself back into it," added the Bendigo player, who recorded four birdies in five holes straight after the turn to end up at level par.

"Feel like I've done no damage with that first round, but would've liked a couple less. Can't be too upset," he said.

Kennedy, too, was happy with his one-over par 71, noting: "The younger ones can hit it a long way, but you've still go to get it into the hole."

Garcia also needed a police escort to get to the course, after arriving an hour later than he'd wanted.

"Even though I left the house with plenty of time, I needed a little bit of help from a couple of very nice English policemen on the bikes to get me here with only about 35, 40 minutes to tee off, when usually I like to be here around an hour and a half before," smiled Garcia, who ended up shooting a 68.